VALORANT Champions 2026 in Shanghai finally opened the elimination half of the GSL on October 1, and the first team out of the tournament is already locked. Team Liquid beat home-region first seed TYLOO 2-1 in the Group C elimination match — Split 13-8, Summit 13-7, Lotus 13-2 — sending TYL home in 13th–16th and booking Liquid a Group C decider date against G2. Hours later (CT morning), the Group D elimination between Xi Lai Gaming and Nongshim RedForce was still live: Nongshim led the series 1-0 after closing Summit 13-11, Sunset was unfinished on the board, and Abyss waited if the Bo3 needed a third map.
This Day 7 guide locks the finished Liquid vs TYLOO box score and veto from VLR, Dot Esports, and Insider Gaming; reports the live XLG vs NS status honestly from VLR elim D; maps the remaining decider path into playoffs; and cross-links our earlier Shanghai coverage so you can rebuild the full week without guessing scores.
For the full Shanghai calendar and group draw, start with the Champions Shanghai groups and schedule guide. Recent winners-match write-ups: Day 6 (Sept 30) — Vitality 2-0 LOUD, 100T 2-0 FUT, Day 5 (Sept 29) — PRX 2-1 G2, KC vs NRG, Group A Sept 27, Group B Sept 26.
Why elimination day hits different at Champions
Champions Shanghai uses a classic GSL double-elimination group. Each group of four plays opening matches, then:
- The two opening winners meet in a winners match. The victor qualifies directly to playoffs.
- The two opening losers meet in an elimination match. The loser goes home with prize money and no second life.
- The winners-match loser faces the elimination-match winner in a decider for the group’s second playoff slot.
Riot’s event window still runs September 24 through October 18, with the group stage at Jing’an Sports Center and finals weekend at Mercedes-Benz Arena. The prize pool is $2.25 million, and the patch for the entire tournament is 13.05. Map pool for Shanghai remains the standard Champions slate: Abyss, Ascent, Haven, Lotus, Split, Summit, and Sunset.
Coming into Day 7, the upper-path playoff locks were already brutal:
- Group C: Paper Rex (Day 5, 2-1 G2)
- Group D: NRG (Day 5 winners path)
- Group B: Team Vitality (Day 6, 2-0 LOUD)
- Group A: 100 Thieves (Day 6, 2-0 FUT — Split 13-5, Lotus 13-10)
Group C path into Liquid vs TYLOO
Group C opened with a narrative that already felt like a trap. Paper Rex took care of business against Liquid in the winners path and then beat G2 2-1 on Day 5 to lock the direct playoff berth. That dropped G2 into the decider lane and sent Liquid into the elimination match against China’s first seed.
TYLOO entered Shanghai as VCT China’s number-one seed after Stage 2 success at home. Their Champions opener against G2 was a disaster — Insider Gaming timed the deflation at 13-6, 13-3 — and the entire Chinese contingent spent the first week without a map win. Liquid arrived from a close loss to Paper Rex with something closer to fight than freefall. Favorites on paper, still haunted by the meme that Liquid exits internationals 1-2.
For how Group C’s upper half locked, read the Day 5 winners matches guide.
Team Liquid 2-1 TYLOO: full elimination breakdown
Final score and veto
Final: Team Liquid 2-1 TYLOO
- Map 1 — Split: Team Liquid 13-8 TYLOO (Liquid pick)
- Map 2 — Summit: TYLOO 13-7 Team Liquid (TYLOO pick) — China’s first map win of Champions 2026
- Map 3 — Lotus: Team Liquid 13-2 TYLOO (decider)
That veto told you the series plan before a round was played. Liquid wanted Split as the controlled opener. TYLOO wanted Summit as the answer map after a week of Chinese scoreboard silence. Neither side trusted Sunset, Haven, Ascent, or Abyss enough to leave them live, and Lotus became the leftover that decided a home-crowd nightmare.
Map 1 — Split: kamo closes Liquid’s pick 13-8
Split started rough for TYLOO. Dot Esports notes a timeout three rounds in, then a tempo flip: Splash and slowly led a methodical attack stretch that put TYL up 7-5 at the half on Liquid’s own map pick. Insider Gaming’s round script matches the same half — Liquid opened with four straight, TYLOO answered with seven on the attack, and the half ended with the Chinese side unexpectedly ahead.
The second half belonged to Liquid’s attack. GSR and kamo exploited defensive gaps and lesser-defended sites; TYLOO managed only one defensive round as Liquid swept the map 13-8. kamo’s map line from Dot Esports — 29/13/2 with heavy first-kill pressure — is the cleanest single-map stamp of the series. Map time on VLR sat around 1:02.
A 13-8 on your own pick after trailing the half is the kind of win that looks ugly in the clip and beautiful on the bracket sheet. Liquid had the series lead. TYLOO still had their map.
Map 2 — Summit: China’s first Champions map win, 13-7
Summit mirrored the first map’s half script and then inverted the second half completely. Liquid took a 7-5 half on the defending side — GSR on Yoru remaining a solo threat, nAts later noting in post-match coverage that Liquid enjoys playing something different and that Harbor’s latest changes make him a viable solo Controller (Dot Esports).
Then TYLOO’s defense never dropped a round. Pistol, follow-up, bonus conversion, and every site hold after that: eight straight rounds, Jing’an crowd electric, series tied. slowly’s map leadership (egamersworld cited 23/13/3) and a locked-in Chinese defensive half finally put a map win on the Champions board for the home region. Final: 13-7 TYLOO.
That map matters beyond the series. Until Summit, China was 0-map at their own Champions. The celebration was real. The third map was waiting.
Map 3 — Lotus: Liquid’s 12-0 half ends the night 13-2
Lotus was not a contest. Liquid posted a flawless 12-0 first half — GSR, Kicks, and nAts outfragging early while the defensive reads never cracked. TYLOO avoided the humiliation of a 0-13 exit by winning the second pistol, but Liquid converted the guns round and closed 13-2. Series over. TYLOO eliminated. Liquid alive for the Group C decider.
Insider Gaming’s close matches the VLR board: two rounds for TYLOO in the second half, heartbreak for the home crowd, and Liquid advancing with a statement map that will follow both orgs into the next 48 hours of discourse.
What the Group C result means
- TYLOO are the first team eliminated at VALORANT Champions 2026. Placement: 13th–16th, with the standard early-exit prize bracket (reporting around the group-stage floor includes the $20,000 early-exit note from series recaps — confirm against Riot’s official prize table if you are writing payout sheets).
- Team Liquid advance to the Group C decider against G2 on October 3. Winner takes the group’s second playoff ticket. Loser goes home.
- China’s first-seed story ends without a series win. The Summit map win softens the narrative slightly and does not change the flight home.
- Liquid’s “1-2 curse” meme now has a new fork: win the G2 decider and the meme dies for this event; lose it and the timeline writes itself.
Group D elimination: Xi Lai Gaming vs Nongshim RedForce (LIVE)
Path into the match
Group D’s upper path already minted NRG as a direct playoff lock on Day 5. Karmine Corp dropped into the decider lane. That left the elimination match as a China vs Korea lower-bracket fight: Xi Lai Gaming against Nongshim RedForce, with the winner earning a date against KC on October 3 for the group’s last playoff slot.
XLG’s Champions path into elim D was already bruising — prior VLR results on the page include an 0-2 against Karmine Corp in the group openers context and a tough regional run into Shanghai. Nongshim entered as the Korean side still trying to prove the Pacific/Korea lane had more than one gear after a week of regional discourse that was not kind to either side of this pairing.
Veto and live status at check time (morning CT, Oct 1)
Veto (per VLR): XLG ban Haven; NS ban Lotus; XLG pick Summit; NS pick Sunset; XLG ban Ascent; NS ban Split; Abyss remains.
At publish check on Thursday morning CT (Oct 1), the series was LIVE on VLR as a Bo3:
- Series score: Nongshim RedForce 1-0 Xi Lai Gaming
- Map 1 — Summit: Nongshim RedForce 13-11 Xi Lai Gaming (finished; ~1:09 map time; XLG pick)
- Map 2 — Sunset: unfinished at final scrape (board reading roughly XLG 9 / NS 9 with half splits XLG 6/3, NS 6/3 — still live)
- Map 3 — Abyss: not started
How to read the Summit result
A 13-11 on XLG’s own Summit pick is a knife-fight, not a stomp. Halves on the finished board read XLG 7/4 and NS 5/8 — Nongshim’s second-half conversion flipped a map that China desperately needed to keep the series honest. Francis’s rating pressure and first-kill volume on the finished map were the loudest individual storyline in the live chat layer; NoMan’s hole on the XLG side was the quiet disaster numbers that usually need a veto reset to recover.
Sunset being Nongshim’s pick makes narrative sense after they stole Summit. If NS closes Sunset, China risks a second elimination on the same calendar day as TYLOO. If XLG equalizes, Abyss becomes a coin-flip decider with crowd noise, regional pride, and already-long map times in the Jing’an building.
Rosters to watch while the series finishes
- Xi Lai Gaming: Lysoar, happywei, WsLeo, Rarga, NoMan
- Nongshim RedForce: Francis, Rb, Xross, Ivy, Dambi
Playoff picture after Day 7 morning
Confirmed direct playoff locks heading into / through Day 7 morning CT:
- Group C: Paper Rex (Day 5, 2-1 G2)
- Group D: NRG (Day 5 winners path)
- Group B: Team Vitality (Day 6, 2-0 LOUD)
- Group A: 100 Thieves (Day 6, 2-0 FUT)
- Group C: TYLOO eliminated; Liquid vs G2 decider set for October 3
- Group D: XLG vs NS elimination still live at check; winner vs KC decider October 3
- Groups A and B: FUT, LOUD, and the lower-bracket survivors still have their own decider paths to finish before the playoff eight is complete
Day 7 storylines that will follow the teams
China’s Champions week just got crueler. TYLOO leaving first as the regional first seed is the headline. A Summit map win is a footnote that softens the clip package and does not change the series result. If XLG also exits on October 1, the regional discourse will be loud for months — and still will not invent map wins that did not happen.
Liquid’s Lotus half is a warning shot. A 12-0 half in an elimination map is the kind of film that either becomes a playoff identity or a one-map mirage. G2 will have studied every Harbor/Yoru timing from that half before Saturday.
Nongshim’s Summit steal keeps Korea alive in Group D. Francis’s multi-role impact and the second-half flip matter more than pre-match odds spam. The Sunset board at check time was close enough that neither “NS 2-0 chalk” nor “XLG comeback script” should be treated as fact until VLR flips to match over.
Decider Saturday is the real group final. Liquid vs G2 and the Group D survivor vs KC are the matches that actually mint the last playoff tickets. Day 7 decides who gets to play those matches. Day 7 does not decide the playoff eight by itself.
How to watch and what to track next
- Follow finished and live scoreboards on VLR TYL vs TL and VLR XLG vs NS.
- Official broadcast and VODs run through the VALORANT Champions Tour channels; regional costreams are listed on the VLR match pages.
- Keep pick’ems honest: lock Liquid’s win and TYLOO’s exit; leave Group D elim chips fluid until Sunset/Abyss finish.
- Circle October 3 for Group C and Group D deciders.
- Keep the playoff window clear: Oct 7–18, GF at Mercedes-Benz Arena.
- For pick’em structure and rewards context, use our Champions Shanghai Pick’Ems guide and the conduct rules explainer if you are catching up on event policies.
Quick recap for bracket notes
Team Liquid beat TYLOO 2-1 (Split 13-8, Summit 13-7, Lotus 13-2) to eliminate China’s first seed and advance to the Group C decider against G2.
Xi Lai Gaming vs Nongshim RedForce was live at morning CT check with Nongshim leading 1-0 after Summit 13-11 and Sunset unfinished. Confirm the final on VLR before you write anyone out of Group D.
Upper-path playoff locks remain Paper Rex, NRG, Vitality, and 100 Thieves. Playoffs start October 7. Grand Final is October 18 in Shanghai.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first team eliminated at Valorant Champions 2026?
TYLOO. Team Liquid beat them 2-1 in the Group C elimination match on October 1 (Split 13-8, Summit 13-7, Lotus 13-2). That makes TYL the first side out of Champions Shanghai 2026.
What were the exact map scores for Liquid vs TYLOO?
Per VLR, Dot Esports, and Insider Gaming: Split 13-8 Team Liquid, Summit 13-7 TYLOO, Lotus 13-2 Team Liquid. Do not use the Ascent mislabel that appeared in at least one secondary recap — the veto and scoreboards confirm Summit as TYLOO’s map win.
Who does Team Liquid play next?
Liquid face G2 Esports in the Group C decider on October 3. The winner takes Group C’s second playoff berth. The loser is eliminated.
Did China win any maps before TYLOO’s Summit?
No. Dot Esports and Insider Gaming both frame Summit as China’s first map win of Champions 2026. TYLOO still lost the series 1-2.
What is the status of Xi Lai Gaming vs Nongshim RedForce?
At morning CT publish check on October 1, the series was live on VLR. Nongshim led 1-0 after winning Summit 13-11. Sunset was unfinished (board roughly 9-9 at latest scrape). Abyss was unused. Refresh VLR elim D for the final before locking pick’ems.
Who does the Group D elimination winner play?
The survivor of XLG vs NS plays Karmine Corp in the Group D decider on October 3 for the group’s second playoff ticket.
Which teams are already locked into the Champions Shanghai playoffs?
From the upper path: Paper Rex (Group C), NRG (Group D), Team Vitality (Group B), and 100 Thieves (Group A). Second seeds still come through the remaining deciders.
When do Champions Shanghai playoffs start?
Playoffs are scheduled to begin October 7, with the Grand Final on October 18 at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai. Group stage continues at Jing’an Sports Center through the remaining elim/decider days.
Where can I see earlier Days 5 and 6 results?
Use our Day 5 winners matches guide for PRX vs G2 and the KC/NRG path, and our Day 6 winners matches guide for Vitality 2-0 LOUD and 100 Thieves 2-0 FUT. Group openers are covered in the Group A Sept 27 and Group B Sept 26 posts.
What patch and map pool is Champions Shanghai using?
The tournament runs on patch 13.05. The map pool is Abyss, Ascent, Haven, Lotus, Split, Summit, and Sunset. Mid-event 13.06 toys stay out of the Champions server.
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